Garlic Prosciutto Ciabatta

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 220 g butter
• 5 cloves garlic
• 5 slices of Parma ham
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• 1 handful of parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, black
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 lemon(s), zest
• 30 g Parmesan, grated
• 1 ciabatta
• some olive oil
• e.g. salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 35 minutes

First, melt all the butter in a small saucepan and add the 5 whole, peeled garlic cloves. Simmer over medium heat until the garlic cloves are soft (this takes about 3-5 minutes), but the butter should not brown yet. Preheat the oven to 200°C (top/bottom heat). When the garlic cloves are soft, turn off the heat. Remove the garlic from the butter, crush it with a fork, and finely chop it. Then return the finely chopped garlic to the butter. Cool the butter over an ice bath, stirring frequently until it reaches a paste-like consistency. Meanwhile, fry the Parma ham with a little olive oil over medium-high heat on both sides until lightly browned and crispy. Then remove from the pan and let cool on kitchen paper. Finely chop the rosemary and parsley. Chop the crispy, no longer warm ham into small pieces and mix it with the rosemary and parsley in a bowl. Once the garlic butter has reached the desired consistency, add finely chopped black garlic, chili flakes, lemon zest, grated Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the ciabatta lengthwise, place it on the sheet with the cut sides down, and place it in the hot oven for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, remove the sheet, turn the ciabatta over, and let it cool for 2 minutes. Set the oven to grill at high temperature. Spread the butter mixture thoroughly over the ciabatta and grate another layer of Parmesan over it. Then return to the oven with the Parmesan side up until the Parmesan is melted and lightly browned (approx. 1-3 minutes depending on the oven). Then remove from the oven, spread the ham and herb mixture on the bread, and serve warm. Tastes great as a starter for 4 people, but also serves as a main course for 2 people in this size. Of course, the portion size always depends somewhat on the size of the loaf. You can also omit the black garlic if you can’t find it or it’s too expensive; just use 6 cloves instead of 5 from the start.